The Ark
It all started in 2005 when I attended a Cumbria Methodist District Finance meeting as a deputy for our Circuit Treasurer. The District Treasurer informed us there was money in a District Fund, which they were desperate to use for mission.
A pre-school group meet in the Methodist Schoolroom in Brigham and I thought it would be good if we could follow this up with an after school group for children aged four to seven. Using a grant to pay someone to do a group at the school seemed a feasible option and a good use for some of the money.
Over the following months the idea developed and ministers and members of our Christians Together group prayed and thought about how we could go about this.
In 2007 we made an application to the District for a grant to enable us to employ a worker for the project. We worked out that for four hours a week a person could plan and deliver one hour of fun activities for the children.
In April 2009 we appointed Gill our School worker, following the Methodist Lay Employment procedures, and in
September 2009 the project started, but not after school as we originally planned but over lunchtime. We had 24 children wanting to come but the library where we planned to have the group can only accommodate 11 children comfortably, so the group runs on two days. We pay Gill for an extra two hours a week as a result.
The children have fun. They enjoy listening, sometimes acting out the Bible stories, they do craft according to the storyline and we sing songs along with the computer. The session ends with prayers for concerns that the children have.
Children on the waiting list come and watch from the corridor as they wait for someone to dropout. Over the past months a number of older children (aged eight to 11) have popped in, watching and listening to what is going on and helping the little ones with the craft. They also enjoy the upbeat worship music. We are praying that a way will be found to do something for them too.
What started off with a remark by the District Treasurer some years ago has enabled us to get this project off the ground and running successfully. We
also applied for and received a grant from the Carlisle Diocesan Growth Fund which means that we can afford Gill’s extra hours and can do Saturday events to which parents and grandparents come. The pictures show one event which took place over Easter.
In Brigham we have an enthusiastic ecumenical group and this would not have happened without their help and the prayers of everyone.
I would not like anyone reading this article to believe that it has been easy; patience was certainly necessary, but we’re up and running now and are confident that seeds are being sown in these children’s hearts. We may not see results by numbers in the churches at Sunday Services but we believe God is blessing the initiative and we look forward to what He will have us do next.
Margaret Robinson
Treasurer and member of the Management Group for The Ark
Keswick and Cockermouth Circuit, Cumbria Methodist District
www. countryway. org. uk
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